An Obsession

I never imagined that limpets would become an obsession. But there is something about Cellana testudinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) that cheers me up every time I find one. Its common name is the turtle limpet, maybe that’s why I love them?

Why Limpets?

I could have used a more elaborate shell to kick off my shell images, but I want to start with one of the common or garden treasures nature shares with us. I’m guessing most people will have seen a limpet (or at least an image of one) at some stage.

With their distinct radial pattern and pearlescent interior, they come in all shades of orange, from marmalade to burnt umber to chocolate. I found the specimens in the image on the beaches of Lombok; they measure between 370mm and 450mm in diameter.

This Cellana species lives on boulders in the intertidal zone, and particularly likes granite and volcanic rock. They eat algae, and are themselves eaten by local communities.

There is often a hole where the apex should be on the samples I have picked up (like those in the image), does anyone know why?

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